There are many settings of “Sugar in the Gourd” in the keys of A, D, and G, and even some entirely different tunes that go by the same name. John learned this classic version of “Sugar in the Gourd” in the key of A from North Carolina fiddler and banjo player Paul Brown, known to many from his years as a journalist on NPR. This setting is quite similar to Gid Tanner and His Skillet Lickers 1930 recording of the tune. You can hear John playing “Sugar in the Gourd” with Sharon Gilchrist and others on his album New Time and Old Acoustic. In this video, John teaches the tune and offers some suggestions for accompaniment using two-finger chords on the low strings with the open A and E strings droning above.
